What is the Lunar New Year?
“Lunar New Year” is a broad term that refers to any new year celebrations based on the lunar calendar, rather than the sun-centred Gregorian Calendar. The most famous event is the Chinese New Year, a two-week festival celebrated throughout China and the global Chinese diaspora. Other major Lunar New Year celebrations take place in Vietnam, Korea, Tibet and Malaysia.
In China, the new year is often called the Spring Festival, marking a traditional time of celebration when the worst of winter has passed and warmer spring weather is approaching. Today, Chinese New Year is a global event. Some of the most-attended celebrations are found in London, Sydney and New York.
In this guide, we explore some of the most popular Lunar New Year Celebrations around the world, including Chinese New Year festivals and the Vietnamese Tết Nguyên Đá. Discover more about each one and learn about using a travel eSIM to make your Lunar New Year trip easier and more affordable.
When is Chinese New Year 2025?
This year, the Chinese New Year will start on Wednesday the 29th of January. It officially ends with the rising of the spring moon on February 12.
Unlike New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year festivals last for two whole weeks – the perfect length of time for a holiday. In China, the first seven days of the festival are a public holiday. Most people will return to work on the 5th of February, though celebrations continue until the final lantern festival. The main events usually take place on the first and last days of the Lunar New Year period (the 29th of January and the 12th of February, respectively). The first two days (in 2025, the 29th and 30th of January) see the largest parades, fireworks displays and parties. The last few days are traditionally marked by lantern festivals, where streets and homes are decorated with strings of illuminated paper lanterns.
Traditions and timelines vary from country to country and region to region – wherever you’re planning on celebrating the Lunar New Year 2025, be sure to research the local itinerary to avoid missing out.
The Year of the Snake
Every year in the Chinese calendar is marked by one of the twelve animals that make up the Chinese Zodiac. This year, the year of the snake, is considered lucky for people born in 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001and 2013.
The Best Places to Visit for the Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is a global event, celebrated across cultures and continents. Here are some of the best Lunar New Year celebrations taking place across the globe in January and February.
1. Beijing, China
For budget-wise tourists, the Spring Festival is one of the best times to visit Beijing. Many residents will leave the city during this time to travel to their hometowns, and domestic tourism is at an ebb. For international visitors, this makes it one of the best-value and most convenient times to go. Queues at major tourist sites will be at their lowest, as will flight and accommodation prices.
Of course, the New Year Celebrations themselves will still be spectacular – visiting China’s capital and largest city during the New Year is an unforgettable experience.
2. Macau
Gambling is a popular Chinese New Year tradition – and Macau is the largest and grandest gambling destination in the world. Macau’s gambling industry is seven times larger than Las Vegas, dwarfing the American city in terms of the scale, spectacle and sheer number of its casinos and theatres. During Chinese New Year, the waterfront city hosts dozens of large-scale fireworks displays and parades.
3. Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
First debuting in 1982, the Victoria Harbour fireworks display is one of the largest in the world. This annual spectacle takes place on the second day of the Lunar New Year (January 30 in 2025). Free to attend, it's a dazzling way to begin a visit to Hong Kong. Further smaller celebrations will take place across the streets of Hong Kong over the following two weeks, lending the entire city a festival atmosphere.
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4. New York City, USA
New York is home to over 500,000 members of the Chinese diaspora, and the city’s historic Chinatown is one of the largest in the world. As a result, Chinese New Year is a staple of the New York calendar and a public school holiday.
The celebrations are bookended by two official street festivals: the firecracker ceremony in Midtown’s Sara D. Roosevelt Park on January 29 and the official Lunar New Year Parade to mark the end of the period on February 16. Smaller community celebrations will take place across the city. Other major Chinese New Year festivals and events in North America take place in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver.
5. Nanjing, China
The two weeks of the Chinese New Year are separated into distinct phases: the pre-celebration phase, where welcome guests and prepare for the event; the opening night, marked by fireworks and parades; the intervening days where families get together; and the closing phase, known as the Lantern festival.
The largest and most spectacular lantern festival is found in Nanjing, China. As one of the most-visited cities in China, Nanjing is a fascinating travel destination all year round. Formerly the Imperial capital, Nanjing has a wealth of historical sites and architectural treasures, as well as unique Lunar New Year customs only found in the region. The most notable of these is the Qinhuai Lantern Fair, where thousands of illuminated paper lanterns cover the banks of the Qinhuai River and Nanjing’s Confucius Temple.
6. Sydney, Australia
If you're looking for a beach holiday instead, head to Sydney, where the 2025 Chinese New Year will coincide with the height of the Australian summer. As home to one of the largest Chinese communities outside Asia, the city hosts multiple Lunar New Year celebrations. In 2025, Sydney has planned nineteen full days of festivities, including art installations, food markets and a dragon boat race through the harbour. The iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge will be lit up in red for the duration of the occasion.
7. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
To experience an entirely different take on the Lunar New Year, visit Vietnam for Tết Nguyên Đá, or simply Tết. Tết is the Vietnamese New Year, and the largest celebration in the Vietnamese calendar - depending on the region, festivities can continue for weeks. Like the Chinese New Year, the biggest parties are planned for January 29, with sporadic celebrations up and down the country in the days after. Ho Chi Minh City will host some of the largest Tết celebrations. Weather-wise, Tết Nguyên Đá is also one of the best times to visit Vietnam. January and February are during Vietnam’s dry season. Planning a trip during this period is the best way to ensure sunny days and mild evenings, with little chance of rain.
If you’re visiting Vietnam during Tết, be prepared for crowds. Travel routes and transport hubs will be packed during the days before and after January 29 as people travel to visit family. Ideally, avoid travelling at all during this period, or if necessary, book transport well in advance. The easiest and most affordable way to get around Vietnam and stay in contact during the Tết period is by downloading a Vietnam eSIM before going. These prepaid SIM profiles let you use your smartphone and access mobile internet in Vietnam just like you would at home, without paying roaming fees. From translation to navigation and finding the best Tết Nguyên Đá celebrations, an eSIM makes any journey easier, cheaper, and ensures you’re not caught out without internet when you need it.
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Getting online in China
For non-resident visitors to China, accessing the internet requires some forward planning. Due to a range of security and economic measures, some of the world’s most-used apps and websites, including Google Maps, Facebook, WhatsApp and Netflix, are wholly or partially blocked in China. It should be noted that these restrictions only apply to mainland China – Hong Kong and Macau are mostly unaffected. Fortunately, these services can still be accessed legally and easily by installing a VPN or downloading a travel eSIM. Alternatively, tourists can also choose to download China’s domestic alternatives to these apps, such as WeChat instead of WhatsApp, or Gaode instead of Google Maps (Apple Maps will also work).
The easiest and most affordable way to access unrestricted mobile internet is by using a China eSIM, provided they have a phone that was purchased in a country outside mainland China. A travel eSIM allows visitors to continue to use their phone exactly like they would at home, providing unimpeded access to apps and services and avoiding roaming fees or costly VPN subscriptions. Find out more in our guide to using mobile data in China.
